


A Flower Amidst the Thorns

by Nagasha



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Brightshipping, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, His teammates are also doing their best and that helps a lot, Hurt/Comfort, I have strong feelings about the team as a family okay, Lloyd is doing his best, M/M, Possession, Sorry not sorry Micah
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-07-17
Packaged: 2018-11-20 16:59:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11339613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nagasha/pseuds/Nagasha
Summary: Lloyd knows what it's like to be possessed, and he's prepared to do whatever it take to save Micah from the same fate.---"Up close, Lloyd was protected from the worst of the thorns, like he was in the eye of a storm. Up close, he could tell that the redhead was crying."





	1. Rhododendron: Danger

**Author's Note:**

  * For [whichlights](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whichlights/gifts).



> Hey, I'm AB! I've finally come out of my lurk-hole to actually post things again. And by things, I mean angst featuring everybody's favorite OC, Micah!
> 
> All the chapter names will be flowers, and all of them have some meaning in the flower language because I'm kinda a dork.

Chapter 1: Rhododendron

The thing about being a ninja was that it never really stopped. You couldn't really take a vacation without leaving the city defenseless, and even if you tried taking a break, there was always somebody to fight, evil overlords or petty thugs and everything in between. Honestly, if Lloyd didn't have his team with him, he'd probably have quit or gone mad by now- as it was, this is all just routine. Another week, another villain.

Only, there was something off about this guy. Venator, apparently, a pretty redhead- and okay, Lloyd isn't ACTUALLY going to make out with a villain or anything, but you can't blame him for noticing if somebody's really cute- in greenish spikes and black leather, with thornlike markings on his face and arms that come alive and attack anybody who came close. He was pretty powerful too, having already thrown Jay halfway down the street with a flick of his hand and survived Kai's subsequent fire blasts with just as much ease. So, already a hassle to deal with, but to make matters worse, he was surrounded by a legion of weird rock/flower golems that seemed focused on wrecking everything in their path. But it wasn't Venator's strength or henchmen that had Lloyd's attention.

No, it was the way Venator's shaggy red hair hung into his eyes in a way that he couldn't possibly be able to see, except for the way he easily dodged and aimed attacks in a way that he had to be able to see. The way his smile was impossibly, painfully wide, too wide to actually be happy. More than anything else, it was the way the villain moved, unstable and wrong like he wasn't used to his body. Like he wasn't used to moving around any body.

Lloyd knew what it was like to be moved around like that.

"Cover me, I'm coming in close!" Lloyd called out to the others- well, Zane, Nya and Cole, Jay had been knocked back and knocked out and Kai went after him after trying his best to set Venator on fire- before rushing in. He knew it was stupid, there's a reason everybody was keeping their distance from the guy and attacking from afar, but he had to know.

Venator wasn't expecting that, and that helped Lloyd avoid his weird vines long enough to make it face to face with the villain. Up close, he was protected from the worst of the thorns, like he was in the eye of a storm. Up close, he could tell that the redhead was crying.

Lloyd gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to summon his powers and try to blast the villain out of his unwilling host. "I don't know who you are, but you don't belong in there. Get out of his body before we MAKE you leave!"

Venator let out a harsh cold laugh, and Lloyd would bet anything that the actual person this villain is possessing wouldn't sound half as deep or raspy. "And how will you do that, whelp? How will you hurt me without hurting my meatpuppet?"

"He has a name," Lloyd said, reaching out and brushing Venator's- not Venator, not really, this was somebody else's body and Venator was just trespassing- bangs away from his eyes. Both to help the redhead actually see what was going on- because Lloyd knew how disorienting it all was, but at least he knew what Morro was doing with him- and to piss off Venator even more. The teen's eyes were a beautiful shade of green, soft like the leaves on a tree and wet from unshed tears, and there was something like amazement shining back at Lloyd. Suddenly, it was hard to speak, but Lloyd swallowed and started talking, saying the things that got him through his own possession. "Keep fighting him, I know it's tough, but I believe in you. We're going to save you, so just keep-"

Lloyd was stopped suddenly when one of Venator's vines wrapped around his chest and _squeezed_ , pushing the breath out of Lloyd like he was crushing an empty can. Lloyd tried desperately to call on his Energy powers, his dragon, anything, but he couldn't with all his energy being pushed out of him. His vision was just starting to go black when suddenly both he and Venator were being soaked by a strong burst of water. Luckily, it was behind Lloyd so he didn't have to worry about drowning as well as suffocating, but Venator got the full frontal force of it. His concentration was broken enough to drop Lloyd- to have all the vines retract into his stolen skin, apparently, as he started coughing on the water. "Accursed human lungs!"

Lloyd pulled himself up enough to see Nya standing over them, poised to attack again. The others were standing with her, even Jay- although he was propped over Kai's shoulder- and the scattered remains of Venator's flower golems lay on the ground. Above him, he could hear Venator laughing again, and Lloyd pushed himself up enough to see Venator's crazed smile.

"Don't worry fleshlings, I know when I'm beat. Tata for now, you little pests!" The villain gave a far jauntier wave than he likely should have, given the situation. And with that, Venator seemed to disappear in a mist of flower petals, leaving behind the rubble of his minions and no clues about who he is or what he wanted.

Slowly, Lloyd stood up, breathing hoarsely and clutching a handful of the soft black petals. The others were surrounding him but giving him space to breathe, and Lloyd had to take a minute to appreciate that. Cole was the one to break the silence first. "You alright, greenbean? "

"Not right now, but I'll be fine," Lloyd took another deep breath, looking at the petals in his hands, "I'm more concerned about the villain. Zane, can you run a facial recognition scan on Venator?"

"Yes, although it's unlikely that it would provide any useful information. I only have access to the police database, and if he had that form of record, we likely would have heard about it by now." Still, Zane's posture shifted and he lifted his head in the way Lloyd recognized as Zane working with Pixal. It could get a little weird at times, knowing Zane shared headspace with his girlfriend, but Zane and Pixal had the most stable relationship out of everybody he knew. (Which honestly said more about his friends and their relationship woes than anything else).

"It's not Venator I'm looking for," Lloyd muttered, thinking back to the redhead with a smile on his face and tears in his eyes. Then, loud enough for the others to hear, Lloyd stated "I don't know who Venator really is, but that isn't his body. He's possessing somebody."

 Nobody asked if he was sure, which was relieving. They all knew he wouldn't joke about somebody being possessed, at least. (Well, somebody else being possessed. Part of the healing process involved way too many 'Morro made me do it!' jokes.) Instead, Kai rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Whoever he is, we'll save him."

"Well, knowing his identity is a step in the right direction," Zane said finally, like he was waiting for Lloyd to have his dramatic moment. Lloyd did like his dramatic moments "Micah Reols, aged 17. His family filed a missing person report three days ago."

Three days... the thought made Lloyd's heart clench. Micah was missing for three days, and his family was looking for him ever since. They didn't even know what happened...

"Zane, do you have their address?" Lloyd asked, trying to focus on his mission and not the ice in his veins, reluctantly grateful when Zane rattled off a list of numbers and street names. He had a mission, he had a job, he had to be team leader- and later, when he didn't have to do any of that, he could collapse and let the weight of it all hit him, but for now he had to be responsible. "Zane, Nya, head back to the Airjitsu Temple and try to find out all you can on what Venator is. Jay, how's your head?"

"I'm fine!" Jay protested, but he was still leaning heavily on Kai and was looking just a little to the left of Lloyd rather than right at him. "I can still help."

"Good, then you can go help Zane and Nya. Ask Misako if she knows anything about this?" Also, Lloyd knew he or any of the other ninjas couldn't make Jay rest, but he knew his mother could. "Cole, Kai, you're with me. We need to tell the Reols what happened to their son, and see if they know anything that could help us."

_Micah Reols, I swear am going to save you._


	2. Marigolds: Pain and Grief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there's not much action, just angst and introspection. Hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 2: Marigolds

The Reols were good parents. It was obvious from the pictures hanging on their walls, Micah and his little sister through all the stages of their lives, with and without family-parents, grandparents, a boy a few years older than Micah who looked close enough to be cousins- but always smiling. It was obvious from the way both parents were holding on to their remaining child, a comforting arm around the twelve year old, and it was obvious from the way she easily burrowed into their supportive grip. And it was obvious from the way both parents were so painfully distraught by their missing son.

Mr. Reols was trying to be a good host- and Lloyd, Kai, and Cole were trying to be good guests, which is why they were crammed together on a lumpy but surprisingly comfortable couch with tea and cookies- but the tension was evident in every inch of him. Mrs. Reols had her son’s eyes and smile- that included the way her smile didn’t meet her eyes. It was honestly the most awkward bit of socialization Lloyd had ever experienced, and that included Parent-Teacher Night at Darkley’s. 

The six of them had been sitting in silence for five awkward minutes before the daughter peeked up and out of her parent’s arms and asked, with the lack of subtlety and tact shared by most twelve year olds, “Do you guys know what happened to Micah?”

“Sinnia!” The father scolded slightly, but wrapped her all the tighter in his arms. Lloyd couldn’t find it in himself to be jealous. “I’m sorry, you know how kids can be.”

“Believe us, we do,” Cole said, not-so-subtly looking over at Lloyd, “but she’s not wrong. We’re here because of Micah.”

The Reols’ reaction was hopeful and terrible all at the same time, and Lloyd couldn’t blame them. On one hand, they’re finally going to find out what happened to their son. On the other hand, they’re going to find out what happened to their son.

“He was… captured, by enemy forces,” Cole said, after a pause. “We don’t know what they want with him, or why he was taken, but we promise that we’re going to do our best to rescue him.”

Lloyd couldn’t meet the Reols’ eyes as Cole kept telling them half-truths and platitudes that might not come true, instead staring down at his tea like it would tell him the future. Wu tried teaching him how to do that at one point, when he was younger and bored while the ninjas were out doing ‘the cool stuff’. He made them each a cup of sweetened tea and when they were finished, Wu pointed out the shapes in the tea leaves.

Lloyd could remember it clearly; his tiny hands wrapped carefully around the delicate china cup because he was afraid of dropping it, almost burning his tongue on the hot tea because he tried drinking it too quickly, trying to find dragons in the dregs at the bottom of his cup. More than anything, Lloyd remembered delighting in his uncle’s undivided attention- it was hard to come by, back when he was so young and unimportant.

This was the first time he could bring himself to drink tea since Wu disappeared in time- they’ve all looked and looked, but they’ve exhausted the past and all they can do is wait for the future- and it tasted bitter and lukewarm. There was nothing at the bottom of the mug but a sad, soggy teabag.

Not for the first time, Lloyd wondered if Wu would approve of Lloyd’s leadership ability. What would Wu do if he was here? Would he have known immediately what Venator was, and how to fight him? What would he have said if he was here meeting the Reols, or would he not tell the Reols anything? Wu disapproved of them lying, but he still kept his own secrets. More than anything though, Lloyd supposed it didn’t matter. More than anything, the main thing Wu wanted for Lloyd was for him to be his own person.

“Micah is possessed.” Lloyd said abruptly, interrupting the others. He didn’t regret it, even with the worried glances from Kai and Cole and the renewed fear from the Reols. “The… person… possessing Micah called himself Venator, but besides that we don’t know what he is or what he wants. The rest of our team is currently searching for answers, but we need to know if there was anything strange going on with Micah before he disappeared? Any information you can give us will be helpful.”

The Reols were deathly silent, staring at Lloyd in shock and horror. Mrs. Reols held her hand to her mouth like she was trying to prevent herself from throwing up, Mr. Reols was leaning on his family like he would have fallen over otherwise. Sinnia was the only member of the family not seemingly frozen; rather, her face was scrunched up in preteen fury, like she was ready to go out there and kick Venator for daring to hurt her brother like that. 

Kai kicked Lloyd in the leg, but Lloyd just glared back. He was the leader of this team, and it was his decision whether or not to tell the truth. Besides, even if this hurt the Reols now, it was better than if they saw Venator traipsing around in their son’s body without warning. Still, Lloyd muttered, “I thought you should know…”

“It’s… thank you for being honest,” Mr. Reols said, sounding as old as Wu. It seems like his lips were the only things that moved as he spoke. “This… this isn’t information that’s easy to know, but thank you.”

“We will get your son back.” Kai stated, as firmly as he could. Knowing Kai, it was pretty firm. “We have some experience with people being possessed, and we can save him. We just need to know if he was acting strangely lately, or interacted with any strange people-“

“What about plants?” Sinnia blurted out, leaning in towards the ninjas despite her parents trying to push her back. Lloyd tried not to blame them for that. “Micah said he found a weird flower a while ago, before he… went away. He showed me pictures- it was pretty weird.”

A weird flower? Well, it could explain the plant powers at least and it was a place to start. And Lloyd probably would have let that lie as it was, but Kai- Kai was a good older brother (that’s why Lloyd brought him here, honestly, because Cole was dependable and Kai was like a brother to him and he knew when he needed people to fall back on), and he was already bridging the gap between them and the Reols, kneeling in front of Sinnia like she was a fairytale princess. “So, Micah likes flowers?”

“He thought it was pretty, is all. But he couldn’t find anything about it online, and so he said he was gonna go back for it.” She leaned in closer like she was whispering a secret, even if her volume was just below normal, “we run a flower shop, and Micah thought it would be nice to have something new there. For mom and dad.”

Lloyd could picture it easily. A boy his age trying to do something right for his parents, only to have it backfire horribly in the form of a parasite taking control of him. It wasn’t a pretty picture, made even less pretty when contrasted with the horror in the Reols’ eyes when they realized.

“Don’t blame yourselves,” Cole was saying, but how could they do anything but? Logically, yes, they had nothing to do with this, but Lloyd knew logic didn’t work well with grief. All they could understand now was that their son wanted to do something nice for them, and he got possessed because of it. 

“We’ll get him back,” Lloyd said, because it was something he could say honestly. It was something that the Reols could cling to, even if they couldn’t believe it. It was easier for Sinnia to accept, both from the childish belief in heroes- Lloyd wasn’t sure if he wished he still had that belief, or if he even ever had it in the first place, but he envied her nonetheless- and the determination that came from knowing she could help. Sinnia managed to rattle off an impressive amount of details with a shocking speed: the flower had five petals, mostly black with spikey red edges, and the stem looked smooth but apparently had tiny little thorns that pricked Micah's fingers when he tried touching it. Micah was out running in the forest, because he was practicing for cross-country, when he found it. He took a picture of it on his phone and showed it to her, but Micah had his phone when he left so they couldn't see it. It wasn't there the last time he took that path, but it didn't look like it was recently planted there, so he thought he just missed seeing it. Micah was actually really stupid for not questioning that, and she was going to tell him that when he came back (Sinnia didn't actually say that part, but it was implied.) She didn’t know where he found it exactly, but she could tell them the general area he usually went, if that helped?

It took her less than a minute to share all this information, and Lloyd felt slightly dizzy from all of it. It wasn’t just Sinnia, he knew that, this whole interaction was intense and overwhelming and Lloyd could feel himself reaching his limit. Still, he nodded and smiled and thanked her- he remembered being that young and that eager to help- and he just nodded to the Reols, who probably didn’t want smiles or thank yous. What they wanted was their son back, and Lloyd couldn't give them that just yet.

Leaving was a blur. Lloyd vaguely remembered standing up, shaking Mr. Reols’ hand and being hugged by Mrs. Reols-she pleaded quietly to him, naming both her lost son and her dead son and the Overlord all in the same breath, and Lloyd thought that would push him over the edge into… something, but it just made him more tired. Later, he knew, when he could feel things again, that knowledge would cut into his heart, but for now it was just another weight on his shoulders. He could handle that, as long as he didn’t have to handle it alone.

And he didn’t. Kai and Cole flanked him, holding him up shoulder to shoulder so that it didn't look like he was leaning on them, and cited the need to leave. They didn’t ask him what’s wrong, or act like there’s anything off about him, and if it was anybody else Lloyd would have been upset, but they already knew him well enough that they didn't have to ask. Sinnia carefully offered something to Kai, and he took it just as carefully, and just like that they were out of the house. 

The three of them rode their elemental dragons here, and Kai and Cole didn’t even ask if Lloyd wanted to try and summon his. They didn’t ask if he was okay, or if he needed anything, or why he told the Reols the truth about Micah. They didn’t ask him anything at all. Instead, Kai held Lloyd close as he summoned his dragon, and let the silence fill the air as Lloyd hung on. Between the warmth of the dragon and the comfort of knowing his brothers were there for him, it finally felt like Lloyd could breathe again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Spritzes the end of the chapter to keep away Greenflames.*
> 
> I hope that Lloyd's emotional shutdown didn't seem too forced or sudden! It seemed appropriate, considering what he's went through and all the... complicated... feelings this is bringing up. Later on, he's going to have to actually face those emotions, because clearly pushing them away to be Temporary Master Lloyd/Team Leader/Green Ninja... isn't really working.
> 
> If it wasn't clear enough, what I was alluding to near the end was that Micah actually had an older brother, who died when the Overlord attacked. I found out/realized when I was about halfway done, and that just made everything worse for the Reols. I didn't really have Lloyd address it except in passing, because even I think that would've been too much angst, but I promise it will come up again when Lloyd has more time to process all of this. ;)
> 
> Next chapter we'll be taking a break from Lloyd's POV to focus on what the rest of the team is doing, and we'll actually find out who- or rather, WHAT- Venator is.


End file.
